Ťαкε мε Нøмε
by anonymous elephant
Summary: AU: When Hilary takes in two kids off the streets will they be the key to a new lease of life for her? In helping them will she finally learn to let go? KaixHilary
1. Take me home

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Ťαкε мε Нøмε**

Written by **The anonymous elephant**

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the stuff that is my own.

**Warnings: **Not that bad really, there may be a few mature themes in here, but on the whole it's alright. There are a few pretty fucked up situations with some pretty fucked up people. Oh, and did I mention there will be swearing? But don't worry too much.

**Author's Note: **I know that **Gou** is in fact Kai's son, I'm not an idiot, but in this case he's not. Cry a river, build a bridge, get over it.

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Chapter 1:** Take me home

**. o x O X O x o .**

"Go on Daichi!"

"But Hilary… I shouldn't leave you to clean up all by yourself…" argued the lanky sixteen-year-old half heartedly.

Hilary couldn't stop a sigh of exasperation escaping her lips as she said, "As proprietor and also your boss I order you off her property to go get ready for your date."

Daichi's face amusingly turned as red as his hair and he scuffed his feet on the floor that he should've technically still been mopping. He muttered something under his breath and Hilary was pretty sure it was rude, but she decided to let it go. This was, after all, a rather special occasion. So instead she yanked the mop out of his hand and replaced it with an envelope and informed him rather smugly, "And there's your pay check early plus a little bonus."

Daichi's big green eyes glanced at Hilary in surprise and she could just tell he was going to protest. The silly thing didn't like anyone helping him out. Men. However her practised glare prevented any objections and finally he nodded and started getting his things together.

Hilary watched him out of the corner of her eye as she finished cleaning the floor. He was an amazing 6"4 nowadays. His hair was as wild and red as it ever was, and his eyes still retained a slightly feral look, like staring into an untamed jungle. He was tanned and toned but still as skinny as a stick. She could remember when he was little he used to be an unruly, unpredictable hellion. Nowadays he was much quieter, probably because… well, let's just say now he spent a lot of his time alone, walking the city streets. Sometimes she got the feeling he wanted to escape, go back to the wilderness he came from. Sometimes she felt like she might loose him as well…

It was hard to believe this was the same boy who she first met hanging from a hook in the girls' changing room. It would be nice to say that the people in this country were open and unprejudiced, but that would be a lie. When he had arrived at Hilary's school he had been labelled a newbie and a foreigner within minutes and consequently had been bullied pretty badly during his first few days.

The kid had guts; he had given as good as he got and the bullies had sported their fair share of bruises. But Daichi, for some unknown reason, had been born uncannily small and stayed that way up until last year. Sadly that had put him at somewhat of a disadvantage in the fighting arena. Hilary, of course, had felt it her moral duty to step in and yell some common sense into those jackasses. They had listened alright and the bullying had stopped immediately, but she still gets the impression that Daichi resented a girl standing up for him.

Once again: men!

Despite whatever feelings he may have held towards her actions, they maintained some form of a relationship. In their early years it mainly involved Hilary yelling at him and him yelling back. But since then it had evolved into something that could probably be classified as friendship. Although there was still a lot of yelling.

And it wasn't just two. They had formed a sort of group of misfits. Hilary: the overachieving workaholic, Daichi: the wild not-so-small-anymore midget, Kenny: the guy who could fix anything, Rei: the cat boy, Max: the fatally optimistic optimist, Hiro: Tyson's big brother and… Tyson.

They were all really close, despite their age differences. It had been that little group of outcasts that had managed to squeeze the truth out of Daichi about his current date during a substantially premeditated game of truth or dare. Hilary always guessed what his feelings were about Ming Ming, and she was right, of course. Once her thoughts had been confirmed, hooking them up had become the focus of her last two years at school. Well that and getting good grades (which, for the record, she did).

She had gotten so close as well. Just before Christmas, she had organised a get together and invited Ming Ming. Everything had been perfect: the lights, the decorations, the music, the food. She would've sworn Daichi would've told her how he felt if only… oh God.

Why did she still get that cold, nauseating feeling in her stomach? The scene replayed in her mind over and over. It couldn't be right that three years later she still imagined him, still pictured him there in perfect detail. She was over him. She'd moved on.

A gentle voice and a hand on Hilary's arm pulled her from her memory. "Hils, what's wrong? You thinking 'bout Ty again?"

"Aren't I always," she said before she could stop herself, and she was surprised at how soft and watery her voice was. She needed to get a grip. She found herself pulled into a hug, and at that very moment she loved Daichi for completely understanding her. She breathed in and savoured the familiar pine forest scent that hung about him. It was calming and soothing and she repressed the dark melancholy that had taken hold.

Pushing back, she gripped his wiry arms lightly and gave him an up-and-down, taking in the casual jeans and Greenday t-shirt. He watched her with emerald orbs, waiting for a sign that she really was okay. Painting her best smile on her face she said, "Handsome as ever. Now go sweep her off her feet Romeo."

His face went red again and if he hadn't been aware of her inner chaos at that moment, her comment would've started a shouting match. But instead he just nodded his head and let go of her. He picked up his bag and headed for the door of the café, turning briefly to wave and say, "Thanks. See ya later Hilary."

Hilary waved back and watched him disappear.

In the end it had been Ming Ming that asked him out. Hilary was sure this must have been another blow to his masculine pride, but it would've have also been kind of a relief, and not only for him. After the… the… after that Christmas, he changed, withdrew into himself. They all did to a degree. But it was a complete 180 with Daichi. Gone was the excitable, tenacious boy and in his place a quiet, introverted person. It was scary. When Ming Ming asked him out it was like a light had been switched back on. Finally something was going on inside of him; he was starting to process, starting to live again.

Hilary finished the floors and returned the mop to the cupboard. She surveyed her little café once more to check if anything else needed to be done before she went home.

She loved her café; it had been her life for the last few years, it had kept her going. It had started out as nothing more than a bare brick room with a small kitchen and toilet attached. Now the wooden boards and polished and covered with everything from Persian carpets to shag rugs. To Hilary it felt like the walls were decorated with a bit of her soul because she pinned everything up there including pictures of her favourite bands, movie tickets and newspaper clippings that had caught her eye. The random assortment of couches and chairs were handpicked from second hand stores and she had personally re-covered every single one. The lights were funky and modern and the place had atmosphere, it had life.

She glanced at the antique grandfather clock that stood in the corner, unfailingly chiming every hour. It was already quarter to seven, Daichi had left over twenty five minutes ago. Had she really been standing there that long? It was winter and darkness came early. Through the windows it was already hard to see anything and the stars were beginning to shine. Her hand was at the light switch when she saw something outside the door. It moved slightly.

Hilary's brow creased, that was odd. Warily, she approached the door to get a closer look, brandishing… her handbag? Of all the weapons she had to pick up off the counter it would be her handbag, wouldn't it? Typical. Not that it really mattered; it was probably just a cat anyway. Rolling her eyes at her own stupidity she sharply pulled the door open and jumped back in surprise when the figure fell backwards into the café with a loud 'Ouch!'

**. o x O X O x o .**

Three minutes later she had the intruder sitting on the zebra print, faux suede couch with a mug of home-brewed hot chocolate. Slightly larger than a cat, the shadow had turned out to be a young boy who had identified himself as Gou and then gone on to insist that he had to wait for his brother Kai to come back, but yes he would like some hot chocolate.

"It's hot, didn't burn yourself," she warned him. He looked ready to scull the whole thing in one go. He was too skinny by her reckoning, and those innocent auburn eyes seemed too big for his face. She searched behind the counter for something to feed him.

Hilary found one of the apple scrolls she had made that morning that she had forgotten to throw away. Damn health regulations ere so strict that you could barely keep anything beyond the day it was made, such a waste of food.

She fished out a plate and placed it in front of him and he promptly picked it up and took a large bite. He perched on the couch; mug in one hand, scroll in the other and his feet didn't even touch the ground. Hilary placed him at about seven or eight years old. His clothes were dirty and frayed, his slate hair was greasy and he needed a bath. She wondered angrily who the hell would leave a child that young on the doorstep of a café with nobody to look after them.

Her answer came storming through the door in the form of a tall youth. It took her a moment to recover in the face of the adolescent's flashing auburn eyes, eerily similar to Gou's.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" growled the teenager.

"What the hell do you think _you're_ doing," she snapped back.

"Kai! Look what I got!" exclaimed Gou from the couch, waving the hand that clutched the remains of the apple scroll. Geeze, thought Hilary, kids sure do eat fast these days, although I guess he must've been hungry. Wait a second did he say…

"You're Kai?" she asked suddenly, trying to gather her thoughts.

He barely looked at her when he strode past to where Gou was sitting. He knelt in front of the kid and seemed to be checking him for any sign of harm. Hilary felt anger bubbling up inside at the nerve of the guy. Coming in here like he owns the place. Hello? Her shop, thank you very much.

"So you're the guy who left his little brother on the side of the street all by himself?" she snapped, "Care to explain why?"

Dark eyes flared dangerously and she felt slightly nervous under his almost solid gaze. It was like a physical force pressing her down.

"Let's go," he quietly ordered Gou and the little boy complied, gulping down the last of his drink and hopping off the couch. The pair began walking to the door and as soon as his gaze left her she felt as if she could move again. Barely stopping to think, she rushed to the door, blocking it with her body and the words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Wait! How do I know you're going to take care of him? You left him all alone at night in the cold in the middle of winter!"

Kai stared down at her, obviously unimpressed. Hilary actually felt like she was physically shaking, his look was so intense, but she stood her ground. Finally he appeared to give in and said simply, "I had to get some stuff from the store."

He started to push past her, and she couldn't help but notice that he was as dirty and smelly as Gou. Again she refused to move, but this time it felt like the only thing stopping her from melting into a puddle and letting him walk all over her was the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"Where are you going?"

Again, that blank yet powerful gaze, but this time silence. She received no answer. Eventually, however, Gou piped up with, "We ain't got nowhere to go."

"Nowhere to go?" she repeated in query, not fully understanding what the child meant.

"We didn't have a home," clarified the little boy in a matter-of-fact tone.

Kai's eyes didn't leave hers, even as her mouth dropped in shock. He didn't say a word. He radiated pride and dignity and silently commanded respect despite his obviously less-than-fortunate position. It was strange, this boy who managed to appear a king when he was no more than a pauper.

"Let us pass," he finally said in a low, unreadable voice.

She was on the verge of doing what he said when she caught herself. Was she about to let a tiny boy and his brother walk out onto the dark streets to spend another night in the cold? Never; she would do no such thing.

"No, you're coming with me," she said resolutely in a spur of the moment decision. She brushed past them, picked up her bag, switched off the lights and purposefully strode through the door. She was quite proud of her uncharacteristically spontaneous behaviour; usually people accused her of being too predictable. She held the door open to let them out and then with a quick flick of the wrist locked up.

When she turned round Kai and Gou were already twenty metres down the street and heading the wrong way. Hilary took a deep breath. Now she had to follow through on her spontaneous decision. She rushed to catch up and grabbed Gou by the hand and started leading him back up the street. She decided that Kai would follow his little brother and was right. Unfortunately she didn't count on the strong grip that descended on her wrist and practically broke it. A small whimper escaped her lips and she turned to face the angry features of the older sibling.

"Let go of my brother," he said with a warning tone in his voice, it was full of promises of pain should she harm the little boy.

He scared her. The look in his eyes was so serious; she didn't doubt for a second the resolve behind his intent. She half wanted to do as he said just to save her skin. But she had no intention of doing Gou any harm, and the feeling of the small hand in hers revived her desire to help and she wouldn't be intimidated or swayed from her decision. Ignoring the pain as best she could, she uttered, "No."

The grip on her wrist tightened and her fingers started to tingle. Her hold on Gou's hand lessened but not of her own accord.

"Let go of her brother," he repeated unbendingly.

"No!" she hissed and suddenly the words were pouring from her mouth in an indignant rant, "The last thing this little boy needs is another night on the streets. He deserves a warm bed, a proper meal and most definitely a wash. So you will release my hand and you will come with me and you will let me take care of him."

Kai blinked slightly at her tirade, and then to her surprise his hand slipped away from her wrist and hung by his side. He stood quietly on the pavement and watched her.

Gou tugged on Hilary's hand and complained, "Its cold out. Could we go now?"

She nodded absentmindedly, still a bit rattled from her fight with Kai, which if she wasn't mistaken she just won. Another tug at her hand brought her back to reality and she smiled down at the little boy, more to restore her confidence than his, and they headed off towards her apartment.

**. o x O X O x o .**

"They're a little bit big, aren't they Gou? Sorry about that."

"'S alright," he mumbled as he inspected the Spiderman pyjamas Hilary had provided. They used to be Daichi's when he had been fourteen (yes he was small), although he'd never admit to still liking the superhero at that age. Gou seemed rather fond of the comic book character as well, judging by the smile on his face and the way he thoroughly inspected all the pictures on the material.

Hilary couldn't help smiling at him and ruffled his slightly damp hair. "At least you're all clean now. Are you still hungry?"

The little boy nodded vigorously. Hilary smiled again, she should've guessed, all boys were bottomless pits in her experience. She settled Gou in front of the TV and wandered back into the kitchen to find something for him to eat.

Her walk-in pantry was stocked with all kinds of food. Habit, really. She didn't eat that much, but for some reason she seemed to make friends with people who didn't know the meaning of the word 'full'. The shelves were stacked with everything from cereals to soups to a massive sack of potatoes that she refilled at the market about once a month.

Now what do growing boys like to eat? She selected a can of baked beans and then promptly dropped it on the floor when an irritated voice behind her made her jump.

"Where are my things?"

Recognising the voice as Kai's she ignored him for a second and quickly got down on the floor and set to the task of retrieving the can which had rolled out of sight. Things disappeared in her pantry, and that was the last of the baked beans so she really didn't want to loose them. She groped around for a second then… bingo!

Getting back up she explained, "I put your clothes in the wash while you were in the shower. I left you some spare pyjamas on the bed though, didn't you see…" she trailed off as she turned to face him properly and realised he was standing in the door to the pantry with nothing but a towel hanging dangerously low around his waist. Her face heated up incredibly and she quickly averted her gaze to the safety of the baked beans grasped in her hand. "Obviously not…" she managed to whisper through her curiously constricted throat.

"I want my things back," he said darkly but there was something childishly petulant about his words that made him slightly less intimidating.

Swallowing, she managed to get control of her voice and say, "Well your clothes are already in the wash now, so you might as well let them finish the cycle. And the shopping bag is sitting on the bench, that's all I could find." The grey, plastic bag had been stuffed into the pocket of his jacket. She didn't check what was in it, she didn't want to invade his privacy, but at least it backed up his story about going to the store. Maybe he wasn't so irresponsible.

"Why are you messing with our lives?" he asked suddenly in an angry voice, although Hilary would've sworn there was also a hint of confusion. Staring at him it suddenly hit her how much younger then her he must be. She'd guess at least three of four years which would put him at about sixteen. Her first impression of him had been of an imposing, self-assured figure, but looking at him now he seemed more like any wary teen, simply jaded beyond his years. His auburn eyes burnt into hers as he demanded, "What right do you have to do all this?"

Okay, the whole accusatory thing? That was taking it a bit too far. Ignoring his state of undress Hilary glared furiously and said, "To do all what? Get you off the street? Offer you a place to sleep? Feed you? Clean your clothes? I didn't know. I probably didn't have any right, but you should be a damn bit more grateful."

The tension between them was so great that anyone who tried to interfere would probably have been knocked unconscious by the force of it. Hilary refused to blink or look away. She would not back down. His eyes were a deep auburn colour; although now she was this close she'd swear there were small flecks of gold around the pupil. In fact they were so close that she could feel the heat from the shower radiating off him. His skin was still slightly damp, and one or two drops of condensation were trickling ever so slowly down his nicely defined chest and she was not looking him in the eyes anymore was she?

She could actually feel herself blushing and looked away. Trying to retain what little dignity she could, she said or more accurately, she squeaked, "Now if you would move and let me through I will find those pyjamas for you."

Of course she could've just pushed past him and shown him who was boss in her house, but that would've involved actually touching him and for some reason she didn't think that was be a good idea in her current state, or his. Kai noticed her discomfort as well, and he purposefully towered over her for a few seconds longer than he needed to, just to prove a point. When he stood back from the entrance to the pantry Hilary quickly hurried through into the only bedroom in her little apartment.

Attached to her bedroom was a tiny ensuite bathroom which was unfortunately the only bathroom. On her neatly made, queen-sized bed lay a pair of simple, navy pyjamas. She walked over and picked them up. The cotton was soft and worn between her figures. A testimony to how many times Tyson had come and slept over.

"Don't really know why I still have these…" she murmured, not meaning to speak out loud, but doing so anyway. She realised Kai was watching her, and for about the third time that night her cheeks felt like red hot beacons. "Guess it's a good thing I did though," she managed to say in a brighter tone and forced a smile onto her face. Glancing down at the blue material she suddenly got the urge to just drop it. She didn't want to hold it anymore, it hurt. She shoved the pyjamas into Kai's chest and briskly left the room, calling over her shoulder, "I'll just leave you to change, if you're hungry I'm making baked beans on toast for Gou so you could have some too."

**. o x O X O x o .**

_Beans, beans, the musical fruit,_

_The more you eat, the more you toot_.

Hilary couldn't stop the laughter as she watched Gou do a little dance around the coffee table with his knife and fork whilst belting out the rhyme. A small corner of her mind was glad for the common sense which led to her tucking a large dishcloth under his chin which was now covered in orange stains. On his third lap of the table, as he passed by Kai, the older sibling plucked the cutlery from Gou's hands and stacked it safely on the empty plate.

Gou gave Kai a mock glare and pulled the make-do napkin from under his cheek and put it next to the dirty dish. Still chuckling Hilary gathered the things to take them into the kitchen. Before she went she quickly asked, "Are you sure you didn't want anything to eat Kai?"

The teen just shook his head, his focus purely on his little brother who was inspecting her bookshelves. Hilary sighed mentally and left to stack the plate in the dishwasher. Kai was about as responsive as a stone wall. They were an odd pair really. Gou was energetic, playful, talkative and curious; everything a seven year old boy should be. Kai: the complete opposite.

She added some powder and pressed the start button on the dishwasher, yawning tiredly. Today had been a long day; it was getting late, nearly twenty past ten. She started to clean up the kitchen as she wouldn't have time tomorrow morning. She swept the tiles, cleaned the benches and hand washed the pot she had used to heat up Gou's meal because it hadn't fit in the dishwasher.

Hilary figured it was clean enough. God, she just wanted to go to bed. Rubbing her eyes she grabbed some blankets out of the linen cupboard. She had had the idea that she'd let Kai and Gou take the queen bed as there were two of them and she'd take the couch. Sure, the couch wasn't exactly her favourite place to sleep, but it was more logical.

She stepped into the lounge where she had left the two boys and was surprised by what she saw. Stretched out along the sofa was Kai. Curled up beside him was Gou. They were both asleep, the older with a protective arm around his little brother. A picture book lay on the ground next them.

Quietly, so as not to disturb them, Hilary padded over. She picked up the story and glanced at the title. _Barbar's Fair._ It had been one of her favourites when she was little. Looking at Kai she found it hard to imagine him reading it aloud to his brother. It was just difficult to visualize the words about a talking elephant coming from his mouth. It seemed too trivial. And although she may have only known him a few hours, Kai did not seem like a person who bothers with trivial things.

Hilary put the book down on the coffee table and then gently arranged the blankets over their sleeping forms. Kai's eyes flickered open as soon as the blanket touched him, but perceiving no threat they slowly closed again. Her own eyes longed to do the same thing and she stumbled back to her room and flunked herself down on her bed. Moments later she was asleep.

**. o x O X O x o .**


	2. Attachment disorder

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Ťαкε мε Нøмε**

Written by **The anonymous elephant**

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the stuff that is my own.

**Warnings: **Nothing really, on the whole surprisingly clean.

**A/N: **Just a little bit of drama!

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Chapter 2:** Attachment disorder

**. o x O X O x o .**

"Earth to Hilary? Hello? Anyone there?"

The amused voice broke through her thoughts and she glanced at the speaker. Rei's friendly amber eyes were watching her intently. Mariah, who as sitting next to him, also observed her suspiciously. Hilary hadn't really been listening to the conversation so she didn't know what to say, instead she just grinned sheepishly. Rei's eyebrows lifted quizzically and he asked, "Hilary what's with you recently? You seem really… spaced-out."

Hilary tried to brush the comment off saying, "It's nothing guys, I'm fine," because she didn't particularly feel like explaining what had happened last week. She could've told them about Kai and Gou, but ever since… that Christmas… Rei seemed to feel he was her protector and Mariah seemed obsessed with setting her up with someone new. Therefore, Rei would probably scold her for being so careless around strangers and inviting them into her house when she lives alone, and Mariah would've wanted to know nationality, D.O.B, hair colour, eye colour and every other personal detail to see if either was date-worthy. Whilst both had good intentions Hilary just needed time to process her own feelings about the situation.

Not that there was much of a situation anymore. When Hilary had woken up the morning after she had found them, they were gone. There was hardly a sign they had even been there other than the neatly folded blanket and pyjamas sitting on the couch and the fact that she'd had no baked beans left in her cupboard. They had taken nothing but their clothes from the washing and the plastic bag. No food was missing or money. They had just left. And she hadn't seen them since.

Hilary supposed she should've just been happy she wasn't robbed blind, but she got the feeling that Kai had to much pride to sink to that level. However she didn't feel particularly happy or sad, just a bit empty. She just kept thinking about how she could've helped them if they stayed and how much she still wanted to help them. Maybe it was her 'Good Samaritan' persona kicking in. If that was all then she'd be fine because she was sure there were plenty of people out there who needed a helping hand. But for some reason, she knew it was more than that. Something about those two had really gotten to her, maybe it was their close bond, she didn't know… but whatever it was she wished they would've stayed.

The sweet smell of flowers washed over Hilary and she found that Mariah had moved around from her side of the table and was grinning at her like the cat that got the cream. This couldn't be good. In an eager voice Mariah said, "I know that look. I know why you're spaced-out. You've found someone haven't you? You've fallen deeply and madly in love!"

Hilary was so surprised by her conclusion she couldn't even think of anything to say, not even to defend herself from the idiocy of it. Taking her silence as a yes Mariah threw her arms around her friend and squeezed her gleefully, exclaiming, "I'm so happy for you! Finally! I knew you would though, there's no way that such a smart, pretty girl could stay single for long," and at this point she grabbed Hilary's arms and asked very seriously although still grinning like a madman, "So when are we going to meet this mysterious lover?"

"I… I… umm…" seemed to be all Hilary was capable of saying. So much for coherent sentences. She glanced across the table at Rei, desperate for some help, but he was just smiling, obviously finding Mariah's explanation satisfactory. Hilary didn't understand why though, she had barely looked at the other sex since… well since Tyson. She didn't know why they'd think she'd moved on and was suddenly ready to date someone else.

On second thoughts, they probably did think she'd moved on. It had been three years. But didn't they see? It didn't work like that. She was in love. Hilary really, truly loved him. She couldn't just forget that. She couldn't just go find someone else.

_I could never find someone else._

In her own mind Hilary was still talking like it was only a day after the accident. She was still as much in love with him as she ever was. God, it was ridiculous. You'd think three years later she'd be over him. She couldn't deal with this right now. She just couldn't deal with it.

"I… I have to go serve someone," Hilary said because it was the first excuse that slipped into her head. And it was partially true. She quickly untangled herself from her friend and slipped over to the counter to grab her notebook. A couple of customers were still deciding on what they wanted but she waited patiently. Better this than the full force of Mariah's interrogation.

She took a peek at the two from the corner of her eye. Mariah was leaning forward and whispering furiously to her long-time boyfriend in conspiratorial manner. Rei sat there, placidly taking it all in with a smile. Hilary sighed; they probably thought she had left because she was shy, not because she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Ah well, that was good really. She didn't want them to worry over her.

Hilary considered herself lucky because her café was situated in the students' district which meant that her friends could come visit frequently. This was both a blessing and a curse because although she loved her friends, they were such a tight knit group that everyone knew everything and they could become rather overprotective. Plus she felt bad spreading the burden of her grief too heavily on her friends. They had had to deal with it same as her. Besides, they had so many things going on in their lives that they needed to concentrate on.

Rei, the ever calm and patient Rei, was doing the fifth year of his doctor's degree. Bouncy, vibrant Mariah was doing the second year of her design course. Hilary didn't know why she bothered doing the course really; Mariah was so talented that she'd probably be a millionaire within weeks of setting up her own clothing line.

The two ladies were ready to order and Hilary politely smiled and wrote it all down. Heading back behind the counter she heard the door swing open. Moments later something tackled her side and she stumbled slightly. Looking down in surprise she saw Gou firmly attached to her leg and crying uncontrollably.

"Gou! Honey, what are you doing here? What's wrong?" she asked as she pried him off and gathered him in her arms. Holding him close Hilary tried to soothe the upset child and slow her racing heart. She saw Mariah and Rei watching inquisitively. Ignoring their questioning gazes she gently patted Gou's back. Slowly his sobs faded but she couldn't piece together what he was saying.

"…won't get up… an' I tried… but… an'…"

Hilary made him look at her and it felt like her heart was breaking again as she stared into those distraught auburn eyes.

"Gou, tell me what's wrong. Who won't get up?"

His bottom lip trembled dangerously, but he managed to mumble, "He won't get up… I waked him but he won't get up…"

"Gou, who won't get up?"

"…Kai…"

Hilary's stomach dropped and she felt deadly cold. Images of the tall teen lying pale and still on the street somewhere filled her vision. All because she let them go without helping them. Oh God, this was all her fault. But by that point Mariah and Rei had approached the counter and Rei quietly asked, "Hilary, what's going on?"

She looked at his strong, serene face and it calmed her. Taking control of herself she ignored the question for a second and asked Gou, "Could you take me to him?"

The little boy nodded and Hilary kissed his cheek and hugged him a bit closer as she talked to Rei.

"I need your help. I think a… a friend of mine is in trouble." The Chinese boy agreed unquestioningly.

Hilary went to grab her bag and the small first aid kit that lay behind the counter. She was pulling off her apron as Daichi walked in the door. She chucked the black garment at him as they passed each other saying, "I need you to look after the shop. I'll explain later," and she was out the door, barely registering the look of confusion on his face.

Hilary put Gou down and told him to show her where to find Kai. The seven year old started walking with direction and purpose unusual in one so young, although she supposed a good sense of direction was essential to a street kid no matter what age. Rei and Mariah were following close behind, but even their presence didn't stop the feeling of icy anxiety gathering in her stomach.

**. o x O X O x o .**

He was lying at the side of the alley. His skin was almost white except for the dirt. He was motionless.

Rei pushed past Hilary and was kneeling at the teen's side in seconds. Deft fingers were feeling for a pulse and a rush of relief flooded Hilary's veins as Rei signalled Kai was alive. Suddenly she could move again. She joined Rei and watched as he examined Kai for signs of hurt or disease. Gou was clinging to Hilary, face half buried in her shirt although one eye was watching his brother.

"What's his name?" Rei asked.

"Kai," Hilary choked out.

Rei started talking to the unconscious youth, calling his name and trying to get a response. Mariah, who had finished calling an ambulance, curiously inquired, "Is this him?"

Hilary stared at her, uncertain of what she meant. A groan from the body reclaimed her full attention and Kai's eyes flickered open. For some reason they locked on Hilary and she felt her chest constrict and her breathing halt. She was lost in those beautiful brown eyes that were so tired but so full of life. He was alive. Thank God, he was alive.

The sound of sirens and Rei's unruffled voice ordering Kai to remain still all mixed together until Hilary felt like she was in a dream world. White paramedics buzzed around them, lifting Kai onto a stretcher. She tried to follow and get into the ambulance as well but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Hilary could hear Mariah saying something about '…her boyfriend…' and the hand released her. She sat down beside Kai with Gou still clinging to her. Hilary vaguely registered that they tried to take him away as well, but she wouldn't let go and suddenly they were moving.

Kai's eyes were closed again and there was a drip attached to his arm and God please don't let him be dead.

**. o x O X O x o .**

The man in white was saying something but it was like Hilary was covered in cling wrap and the world was slightly blurry and she couldn't quite hear anything. She couldn't shake the image of Kai lying so pale and still in the street. For a second it felt like Christmas all over again, except it was Kai's motionless form not Tyson.

The last few hours in the hospital had been chaotic. Something about not enough beds and malnutrition and relatives and confidentiality clauses and she didn't really know what was going on. But when Gou ran to her and clutched her hand, it was like tearing the plastic away and sounds and colours came flooding back.

"…are you Hilary Tatibana?" said the man with the clipboard and the irritation in his voice made her wonder how many times he'd had to repeat that.

"Yes," she finally said.

"And you're Kai Hiwatari's girlfriend?"

What? What was this guy talking about?

"Because I can only release information about his condition to close family and friends," the man continued.

The information registered and the pieces clicked as Hilary realised that Mariah must've told them she was his girlfriend. Well, she supposed a little lie couldn't hurt. "Yes, I'm his girlfriend."

The man nodded and flipped through the papers and said, "Well, your boyfriend is suffering from malnutrition. Not too serious, but he obviously hasn't been eating enough," and at this point he glared at Hilary through his glasses with suspicion and condemnation. He probably thought she was the worst girlfriend in the world, not noticing that her boyfriend wasn't eating, enough so to make him sick. Flipping through some more papers he continued, "We'll keep him until this evening for observation, but you'll have to take him home after that. We're short of beds and you could sort this out at home. It's simply a matter of making sure he keeps to a proper diet and regular meals. Here's a sheet with a list of foods and supplements he should be taking. We'll discharge him at seven tonight, so you can wait or come back and collect him then."

He left before she had a chance to respond. Hilary sighed and folded the sheet he had given her and stuffed it into her jacket pocket.

She attempted to get in to see Kai, but there were too many doctors and nurses running in and out trying to cope with the winter overflow of patients. Stress levels were high and somehow she found herself and Gou banished from the ward and sent to find something else to do.

Wandering the halls they came across a playground for children and with a whoop of glee Gou was all over it in seconds. The play equipment was old and faded. The little box of toys by the side was filled with dog-eared books and patched-up toys. Overall, Hilary found it a bit depressing. Gou, however, was having a magnificent time. She wondered if he ever got to go to the park when he was with Kai. She wondered what kind of life they led. It was hard to imagine the hardships they must've endured, especially considering the sheltered childhood she had experienced.

She sat there watching him play until Rei and Mariah found them. They offered to go shopping for the items on the list the doctor had given to Hilary. She hadn't even looked at it herself. Pulling it out she scanned the paper briefly before she handed it over with her thanks. She promised to pay them back but they just waved her off. Before they left Rei gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and Mariah hugged her and said, "Other than the health issues, he seems quite cute. So I just want you to know I approve," and then they were off down the corridor, Rei slinging an arm around his girlfriend's waist.

It took her a moment to process Mariah's comment. What on earth was she talking about? Oh. Right. Kai. Of course, Hilary still hadn't told them he wasn't her boyfriend. She wanted to call them back and explain it then, but they'd already disappeared into a sea of white, medical coats. Sighing, she felt too tired to go running after them so she sat down and continued to watch Gou play. After about half an hour he got tired and came and cuddled up on her lap.

"Is he gonna be alright?" he asked in a quiet, solemn voice.

Hilary met those beautiful eyes with her own and felt a surge of overwhelming adoration because he cared so much about his brother. A smile settled on her face and she assured him, "Kai's going to be fine Gou. He just needs some rest and a few good meals and he'll be back on his feet in no time."

"Good," responded the little boy contentedly, "I like good meals," and he shuffled around to get more comfortable. Then silence cloaked them as they waited for the minutes and hours to tick by. Together they watched the people hurrying by, lost in their own busy lives, ignorant of the two silent bystanders.

**. o x O X O x o .**

"Kai Hiwatari what the hell do you think you're doing? Get back in that bed immediately!" Hilary yelled.

Kai shot her a look filled with contempt and continued towards the door. He called for Gou to come with him but the little boy just sat and watched quietly from the couch. Kai seemed frustrated by his brother's lack of response and glared at him. He repeated the order but Gou didn't move.

Hilary decided to take advantage of the fact that Gou was obviously siding with her and said, "You really need to rest Kai. In case you've forgotten you were in hospital yesterday."

He shifted his glare to her and said, "But I'm not anymore, so I'm leaving."

"It takes more than one night's rest to recover and you damn well know that," Hilary said more forcefully. _Temper Hilary, don't loose your temper_. She took a deep breath and continued in a more rational tone, "You're suffering from malnutrition Kai. You need a proper diet, good sleep and you don't need the stress of looking after Gou as well."

"I can take care of myself and Gou. I've been doing it for the past five years haven't I?" he said in a voice that was laced with bitterness, fury, resent. Once again Hilary found herself wondering at the strength and endurance these two people must possess. Once again she was reminded of how little she really knew about them. They were strangers to her. She didn't know what to say.

Thankfully Gou spoke at last. "Kai, please don't go." The words were simple but effective. Gou held much sway over his brother whether he knew it or not. A look of uncertainty crossed Kai's face, but before he could respond there was a knocking on the door and a few seconds later Mariah came bursting in.

She was beaming and laden with grocery bags. She confidently made her way across the apartment and started dumping her load on the dining table.

"Hey guys! Hi Kai! How're you going? Feeling better I hope," she said all in one breath, then added as an afterthought as if it wasn't obvious enough, "I brought your groceries for you Hilary."

Hilary's eyes flitted from where Kai was standing to her friend. Deciding Kai wasn't going anywhere for the moment, she hurried over to help Mariah start unpacking.

"Thanks Mariah, for doing all this," she said as she stacked the apples in her fruit bowl.

"Not a problem sweetie," replied Mariah with a smile, "I'm just happy you've found someone."

Hilary blushed and glanced at Kai, hoping he hadn't overheard. The stoic teen and his little brother had wandered out onto her small balcony and were staring out at the sky, apparently still thankfully ignorant.

"Umm… Mariah…" mumbled Hilary, feeling she really should correct her friend's misinterpretation before the situation got any more embarrassing.

"Honey, where do you want me to put these vitamins?" interrupted Mariah.

"Just shove them on the counter," sighed Hilary. This was surprisingly difficult. It wasn't that she wanted them to think that Kai was her boyfriend, it was just she didn't want to destroy Mariah's happiness. The girl was so pleased with the idea that Hilary had moved on. Hilary loved her friend for caring so much, but at the same time it was just making this harder.

"He still looks awfully pale; I suppose he was in hospital just yesterday. And maybe he just has a pale complexion anyway," mused Mariah, eyeing Kai up, "Hils, is he normally quite pale?"

Hilary, still half lost in thought, stuttered, "Yes… no… I don't know! Look Mariah, I really should tell you…"

"Hilary, what is it?" prompted Mariah kindly when she trailed off.

Hilary swallowed and took a deep breath, she really didn't want to do this but she had to.

"It's not what you think Mariah, he's not my boyfriend. I found him and his brother on the street about a week ago and I decided to help them. They stayed one night, in the morning they were gone and I didn't see them again until yesterday when you met them."

"Oh," said the vibrant girl, crestfallen.

Hilary walked over and hugged her gently saying, "I'm sorry Mariah, I just didn't get a chance to tell you and you seemed so happy about it."

Mariah shook her head and squeezed back. "No sweetie, I presumed, it's my fault. I was just seeing what I wanted to see. I thought… you know, maybe you'd…"

Hilary sighed and led her friend over to the couch where they both sat down.

"I know what you thought, and I know you meant well. But Mariah… I still love him," confessed Hilary.

Tears were gathering in Mariah's eyes as she said, "But it's been three years Hilary. Three whole years! God, we were all sad when it happened, and I know it hit you hardest but we've grieved, we've mourned and we've moved on. Why can't you do that too Hils? He's not coming back. I just wanted you to be happy, you deserve to be happy. Can't you just let him go?"

By this point tears were slowly trickling down her cheeks as she looked imploringly at her friend. Hilary looked away, not wanting to show the tears collecting in her own eyes.

"You can't ask me that Mariah. It's not up to me who I love."

Mariah smiled through her tears and said quietly, "I know, and I think he still loves you too."

Hilary pulled her friend in for another hug and murmured, "Thank you Mariah."

They stayed like that for a few seconds until Mariah finally pushed away, dashing the tears away from her eyes and saying, "You really found him on the streets? I mean, damn! Supermodel much?"

"Mariah!" laughed Hilary.

The girl just smiled and said, "Right, well I'd better be off."

Hilary jumped up and nodded. "Okay, just let me grab the money for the groceries."

When she returned with the cash Mariah was fixing up her makeup in a little mirror. She accepted the money and Hilary's thanks with a smile and said, "Any time honey, always happy to help. And by the way Rei said he'd be happy to come and check up on Kai every other day or so, just to see how he's doing."

Hilary felt so grateful at that moment she hardly knew what to say. Hugging her friend again she said, "That's really, really kind of him, give him my thanks would you?"

Mariah smiled. "Yeah well, any reason to practise his medicine is good enough for him.

"He's a saint," said Hilary.

"That's what he'd have you believe anyway," retorted Mariah, rolling her eyes, "I have never met a man who has so much difficulty with doing his own laundry."

They both laughed at this and the noise brought Kai and Gou in from the balcony.

Mariah glanced at the two boys and then at her friend. No matter what Hilary said, Mariah was sure something was going on there. She hadn't seen her friend like this in a long time. But for now she would say no more on the subject.

"Well I'd better be going," she said at last, and embracing her friend once more she whispered in Hilary's ear, "You'd better go wash up honey, your face is all red and splotchy."

Mariah grinned then left with a small wave.

Hilary's hands flew to her cheeks which were now burning hot with embarrassment. Hurriedly she pushed past Kai to get to the bathroom. She knocked him accidentally and he suddenly paled and wavered. Hilary whirled round in shock, just in time to support him before he fell.

He was scarily light. The poor diet he had been forced to maintain on the streets had definitely taken its toll. Not only was his BMI way too low, but side effects like low blood pressure were kicking in, thus the dizziness and most likely why he had fainted yesterday. It was not yet too serious an issue, but it needed to be addressed immediately or he really would need fulltime medical care.

For the moment, if he stayed Hilary was sure she would be able to fix him up easy, as long as she followed the doctor's instructions, and she knew he knew that. But it meant that he must agree to be taken care of by a complete stranger. Even harder he must submit to letting someone else take control, something she imagined he'd have great trouble with. But going the way he was, he really had no choice.

Hilary could almost feel the self-disgust radiating from him because of his frailty and her heart went out to him. He pushed her away as if he was revolted by her as well and propped himself up on the door, panting slightly with the effort of it. It was a pitiable sight: this proud, independent boy a weak, trembling wreak and hating himself for it.

She laid a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to help him to the sofa, but he violently pushed her off. Hilary stumbled back slightly. It hadn't hurt; it had been more just a shock. If he had been in better health she got the feeling he would've thrown her across the room, but in his current state he could barely harm a fly. However, she was not stupid, she got the message: do not touch.

"Kai… please… you've got to let me help you," she pleaded softly, desperately, "I want to help you, I really do."

Slowly she tried to put her arm around his shoulder so that he could lean on her, but before she even touched him he physically tensed, the muscles in his back going rigid. It was almost like he was flinching from the contact, but she hadn't even laid a hand on him yet. He wouldn't even look her in the eye. He wouldn't say anything. He didn't want her there.

Hilary pursed her lips. If he wanted to be that way, then fine. He could damn well lug his ass around by himself. She had had enough of emotional trips today and she wasn't about to let him send her on another one. Tersely she informed him, "I'm going to run you an Epsom salt bath, it should be ready in about ten minutes. Try not to kill yourself before then."

Then he stared at her, and if looks could kill she'd have been dead. Oh well, they couldn't.

Twenty minutes later Hilary had a steaming tub of hot water ready with 500g of bloody expensive dissolved salt that Mariah had brought over. That boy had better appreciate what she was doing for him. Not only was she missing work (thank god for Hiro and Daichi, didn't know what she'd do without them, note to self: invite them over for dinner) but her income was being spent on vitamins and supplements and a million and one other things that were supposed to make him well again.

All she could say was he damn well better stay long enough that they did.

**. o x O X O x o .**


	3. Kindred spirits

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Ťαкε мε Нøмε**

Written by **The anonymous elephant**

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the stuff that is my own.

**Warnings: **Maybe one swearword. I don't think I've ever written something so clean in my life.

**Dedication:** I woud like to dedicate this chapter to **RaiPhoenix015 **who was kind enough to take the time to beta-read for me. Thank you Rai.

**Author's Note: **So there's a tiny, tiny attempt at fluff in here. Do be kind, it's never been my forte and this is really stretching my normal boundaries, but at the same time feel free to critique.

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Chapter 3: **Kindred spirits

**. o x O X O x o .**

05h43 day 7: life on planet earth was continuing as normal.

Well pretty much, mused Hilary.

Kai hadn't left and was slowly starting to put on some weight (which, by the way, was totally unfair because she gained weight like thirty seconds after taking her first mouthful of dessert). Yes it was mean, but God was it true. Also, the increasingly energetic Gou was getting happier each day and seemed to have settled into his new life. His teachers constantly praised his easy nature and sharp mind.

Her café was doing fine, especially with Daichi pulling extra shifts and Hiro taking on a large part of the responsibility. Hilary had managed to pop in for a couple of hours each afternoon before she collected Gou from school, but that was really it. She felt guilty about her friends doing so much work; it was like she was taking advantage of their kindness. She knew that wasn't true… but still.

As for herself, well Hilary was beginning to adjust. Her life seemed to have transformed drastically in scarcely two weeks and only now was she coming to terms with it. Who would have thought that life could change so much, so fast?

At the moment the most noticeable difference had to be her sleeping conditions. She had never been so well acquainted with a couch in her entire life and she prayed she never would be again. Her back hated her, and waking up in the morning with only 2-3 cricks in her neck was a good thing.

She sighed, how your perspective on things could change.

Another perspective change was her opinion on getting a full night's sleep. Basically she didn't anymore. Sleeping through 'til 5:43am was actually quite an achievement, plus she had only woken up a few times during the night due to discomfort.

For the moment she could handle it, but she was getting dangerously close to the end of her rope. She wasn't quite sure how many more fitful nights she could endure. The whole 'panda eyes' look really didn't work for her and she was getting sick of covering them up with makeup. In addition if she kept them any longer she was afraid they'd become permanent. Now that was a scary thought.

She kind of needed a break, something to relax her, but taking care of Kai and Gou was a fulltime job that she couldn't just delegate to someone else. For now she was stuck with it, but that was okay, she'd survive.

Thinking of the day ahead of her things didn't seem too bad. She had to take Gou to school, Rei was coming to check up on Kai and she wanted to start organising a little get together with her friends, firstly so she could catch up with them but also to give them a chance to meet Kai and Gou.

She thought drinks and dinner sounded good: simple, easy, just her close friends. Hilary smiled at the thought of seeing everyone. She couldn't remember the last time they had all been together. She had been so busy recently with her two charges that she felt like she'd neglected her other friends. However, it was easily remedied and the thought of it put her in good spirits as she got up and started shuffling round the kitchen preparing breakfast.

**. o x O X O x o .**

"Gou, would you stand still! It's incredibly hard to tie shoelaces when they're doing the hokey pokey."

Gou ignored Hilary and attempted to continue dancing along with the people on the TV while she desperately clung to his left foot. The sound from the TV abruptly stopped and they both turned to see Kai with remote in hand, giving Gou one of those looks. The little boy stopped immediately and stood meekly while Hilary quickly finished tying the laces.

With bag in one hand and Gou's grasped tightly in the other she was ready to go.

Hilary glanced at the teen who was leaning nonchalantly against the couch and said, "Kai, I'll be back in about half and hour. Rei should be arriving soon to give you a check-up. I've left your breakfast on the kitchen bench; just heat it in the microwave… and I think that's all…" her mind flitted over all the things she might've forgotten to mention but came up blank, "Okay, see you later."

She didn't wait for a response and she didn't expect one. Over the past week Kai had gradually accepted that the sooner he let her help him the sooner he'd be well enough to leave. Hilary, on the other hand, had gradually accepted that although he may let her take care of him it did not mean he would willingly associate with her in any other way. Basically, their contact was as limited as possible and their relationship stretched no further than that of nurse and patient (or more like master and slave: that boy did nothing to help!).

They caught the train to the primary school as Hilary had never learnt to drive. Gou was absolutely beaming with excitement. It was his fifth day and he absolutely loved it. Hilary got the feeling that any previous schooling must've been very interrupted and irregular. However he was a bright kid and, from what his teacher had said when she'd picked him up, he was managing just fine.

Gou left her at the gates and ran inside to play with all the other kids. The first day he had been shy, but a week later he was friends with everyone. The joys of being a seven-year-old. When you're little nobody judges, everyone just gets along and plays together.

Hilary waited patiently at the gate until he waved. It was a thing they had going, kinda like a signal that everything was fine and she was allowed to leave. Sure enough, thirty seconds later she spotted him waving madly from atop of the play equipment and gave him a wave back before turning to leave.

She glanced at her watch. 9:05am. If she hurried back and caught the 9:12 train then she might just see Rei before he left.

**. o x O X O x o .**

Sure enough, when Hilary got back to her apartment, she saw Rei's familiar coat draped over the back of the sofa.

She followed the sound of his voice to her bedroom, which she had temporarily relinquished to Kai and Gou, while she enjoyed the wonders of sleeping on the couch. She peeked past the door into the room and saw Rei's back. He bent down to put his stethoscope in his bag and the action revealed Kai sitting on the bed. He was in the process of pulling his shirt back on over his head but Hilary got a brief glimpse of his bare torso. Whilst she could see that he was obviously getting better, he was still underweight and his ribs were slightly too prominent. She also noticed something she hadn't seen before: a large scar on his left side that had healed over but contrasted greatly to his pale skin.

Her inspection was brought to an abrupt halt as he finished pulling on the t-shirt and the plain cotton hid his body from view. As if he knew she was there, spying on him, his auburn eyes immediately locked in on the door. Feeling ashamed she decided to make her presence known and fully stepped into the room.

Rei got up and greeted her. "Morning Hilary. Good timing, we just finished up here."

Hilary simply smiled and nodded, too embarrassed to say anything. Rei didn't appear to notice her discomfort and gathered his things, apologising for not being able to stay.

"It would be nice to catch up, but Uni calls and I'll never get a degree sitting around chatting."

Again she nodded and smiled, she even managed to give him a quick hug before he left. All the while Kai's eyes were still on her. Hilary could feel them burning into her as he walked with them to the door. Once Rei has disappeared down the hallway she closed it, all the while hypersensitive to the presence behind her. Why didn't he just say something? Why did he just stand there?

"What?" she demanded hotly, swinging round to face him, "What is it?"

Kai watched her impassively and she could feel her face burning. It wasn't like she had been perving on him; it was merely so she could assess his improvement herself. She hadn't seen him without his clothes on since that first night he was here, over two weeks ago, and then she hadn't really looking anyway, well she hadn't meant to, he had kinda just appeared with only a towel… okay, there's no way of explaining that didn't sound dirty. But she wasn't guilty!

Without warning he began to approach. Hilary vaguely noted that her pulse was racing and her vocal chords had gone on vacation, God knows why. He stepped closer and there was something powerful about the way he walked, powerful about the way he held himself, how he stood only inches away from her…

"You forgot to lock the door."

He reached past her and flicked the lock. Then he turned to go back into the bedroom. Just before he disappeared through the door he said, "I'd like lunch around one o'clock."

Hilary's blood boiled. She bit her lip to stop herself from screaming at the arrogant jerk. The guy had to be joking. She was not his maid. She'd be damned before she let some kid off the street order her around. She was doing him a favour, she was not indebted to him nor did she have any reason other than her own good will to help him out.

She was still fuming, but she reined her temper in as much as she could and decided to go follow a logical course of action.

"Kai get your ass out here, you're learning to cook," she yelled resolutely.

**. o x O X O x o .**

The guy was a perfectionist.

Two hours and thirty-eight onions later Kai Hiwatari had refined the art of dicing to absolute perfection. 100g of crisp, white onion chunks had been neatly collected into a black bowl in all their cubic glory. Hilary's eyes stung terribly from the ordeal and she had tears running down her face, however Kai seemed unaffected. He casually wiped the knife clean and leant against the bench top as if challenging her for his next task.

Hilary sniffed and grabbed a handful of tissues and desperately albeit fruitlessly tried to stop the streams of tears. At the same time she squinted hard and read the next instruction of the recipe.

"Okay… umm… peel and chop four carrots… okay Kai, the carrots are in the bottom of the fridge… so…"

She didn't need to finish the sentence as the teen had already located the orange vegetables and was in the process of stripping the outer layer from them. Hilary prayed that this time he would be satisfied with his work the first time round and wouldn't go through her entire stock of carrots then send her to the supermarket to get more. Surely he'd master carrots faster than onions… dicing was tricky, she appreciated that, but peeling and chopping carrots was hardly rocket surgery.

Thankfully a mere six carrots later Kai seemed to decide his work was passable and transferred them into another bowl. By this time Hilary had pretty much stopped the tears and was heating up the mince meat so the vegetables could be added. It had never taken her so long to make Shepherds' Pie before. Usually she had even done the potatoes by this point.

"Shit!"

Kai gave her a quizzical look and Hilary's hand flew to her mouth.

"Sorry! Sorry, I shouldn't swear," she babbled, "No big deal, we've just forgotten to do the potatoes. But that's fine, I'll grab them now..."

She chose around half a dozen potatoes from the large sack in the pantry and placed them in a bowl. She quickly rinsed the majority of the dark earth from their skins with some cold water. Grabbing an extra peeler for herself, she passed one potato to Kai and started on another herself.

She contentedly removed of the outer layer of the vegetable, watching as the clean, white flesh of the potato appeared. When she had finished she roughly chopped it and placed in a saucepan of water, ready to cook.

She was half way through doing her second one when a Kai's deep voice commented, "You're doing it wrong."

Hilary's jaw dropped and she whirled round to face him, hand on hip. Tartly she replied, "There is nothing wrong with the way I peel potatoes, thank you very much."

Kai didn't even glance at her, merely saying, "Other than its slow and you waste half the potato in the process."

"So you're saying the guy who has never peeled a potato before in his life is suddenly a potato-peeling genius?" retorted Hilary, hackles raised.

"Watch," commanded Kai simply.

Sure enough curiosity overcame pride and Hilary glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Needless to say he was a potato-peeling genius, or at least he was a lot better at it than she was. In comparison she did waste a lot of the potato. But… what the hell? Was she really thinking this? Was she letting herself get riled up over a vegetable? It was just a potato. Did it really matter?

Peeved that she had let him get to her in the first place she asked resentfully, "What are you? Some kind of master chef?"

Apparently that was the wrong tone of voice to use and he turned on her and replied rudely, "And what are you? Some kind of control freak who refuses to admit someone else might have a better way?"

"I am not a control freak!" she yelled angrily.

"Sure seems that way to me," he said, goading her.

"You are such an ungrateful wretch! I – ouch!" she cried out. In her anger the peeler had slipped and sliced into her thumb. Red blood was quickly staining the potato and it really hurt. Hilary felt tears gathering in her eyes, twice in one day, but this time because of the stinging pain.

She quickly dropped both peeler and potato and looked around frantically for something to stop the bleeding. She was just grabbing some tissues when a rough hand grabbed hold of her own. She glanced round in surprise and watched as Kai brought the bleeding finger to his mouth and without any hesitation quickly sucked the blood away to clean the cut.

"Oh…" was all Hilary seemed able to say. His mouth was hot and she could feel his tongue against her finger as he got rid off the blood. For some reason this sent tingles through her stomach and made it harder to breathe. Kai pulled away and briefly inspected the wound, and apparently satisfied he took the tissues she was holding and wrapped them expertly round the finger. The job finished, he looked back up at her and as his rich, auburn eyes met hers she felt her face heat up like an oven.

Hilary dazedly took a breath and, feeling thoroughly flustered, she mumbled, "Um… I'll… I'll just go grab… a… um… a… bandaid."

Kai shrugged, completely indifferent to the situation, and after chucking away the bloodied potato proceeded to grab another to continue his task.

Hilary walked away as fast as she could without seeming like she was rushing. Once she was safely in the bathroom she searched around for a bit then ditched the tissues for a proper plaster.

As soon as that was done she let out a huge sigh and tried to calm herself. She had acted like a complete fool! What would he think of her? She did not just find that moment completely sensual. She was not desperate to be touched or held again by a lover. It would feel like cheating anyway, the only person she wanted was Tyson.

Besides, Kai was a child compared to her. He didn't have a clue as to what was going on. What was he? Like sixteen, seventeen tops? She was an old woman next to him. She was turning twenty three in November, which was like next month!

She really needed to get a grip on herself. Kai was a street kid, dealing with small injuries like that was probably an everyday occurrence. Although it couldn't be a hygienic way to go about things… she really should break him of that habit.

Hilary took a deep breath, splashed some water over her face for good measure and then returned to the kitchen.

Kai was calmly finishing the last potato like nothing had happened. _And nothing did happen!_ Hilary reminded herself. Remembering that it was her house and she was in complete control of the situation Hilary strode over to the bench and grabbed the cookbook.

"Alright, next thing to do is put the potatoes on to boil. Easy enough. Kai you grab some matches out of the pantry and I'll show you how to work the stove."

Fortunately she didn't hear Kai muttering as he went to search for the Redheads.

"Control freak…"

**. o x O X O x o .**

It was unseasonably warm and at 6pm the air was still pleasant and the sun was only just beginning to set in a brilliant, fiery display. Hilary, with some unwilling help from Kai, had managed to squeeze a table and three chairs onto her balcony.

All three, Kai, Gou and Hilary, sat eating their dinner and watching the mesmerising horizon.

"Mmm… it's good," mumbled Gou through a mouthful of Shepherd's Pie.

"Gou, don't talk with your mouth full," scolded Hilary automatically.

Gou rolled his eyes and made a show of chewing and swallowing before asking, "My brother made this?"

Hilary smiled at his antics and replied, "Yeah, he's not a bad cook is he?"

Gou frowned and concentrated on his dinner for a moment. Then he pronounced, "You're lying. Kai can't cook this good."

Kai sent a death glare at his brother and Hilary just laughed.

"What?" exclaimed the seven-year-old, "It's true! Kai can't cook."

"Well, maybe I helped him just a little bit," Hilary managed to say through her giggles. She glanced at Kai and judging by the scowl on his face he was obviously peeved. This just sent her into another round of laughter.

Gou didn't look impressed by her behaviour either and demanded, "Can I finish my dinner inside, I wanna watch TV."

"Only if you say the magic word," said Hilary smothering her laughter and being serious for a moment.

"Please?" replied Gou impatiently, "It's not a magic word; just a form of psychological manipulation that renders a person more likely to agree."

Hilary gaped at the boy. Did he just say what she thought he said? Blinking a few times to recover from her shock she looked over at Kai to see if he was as amazed as she. The teen was just sitting there, eyes half closed, watching the sunset with a lazy smirk on his face. Hilary sighed and lamented, "And I suppose that would be your influence Kai. Fine Gou, go inside but make sure you don't spill your dinner everywhere."

Gou slipped out of his chair and took his plate inside. A few moments later the sound of cartoons drifted outside. Kai and Hilary sat there in silence, finishing their dinner.

After about ten minutes of silence Hilary couldn't stop herself from asking, "What was it like, living on the streets?"

Kai continued to stare passively out at the city and didn't say a word, didn't even acknowledge that she had spoken. Hilary frowned, wondering if that question had been a bit too personal. They hardly talked about anything, let alone about their life stories.

Feeling awkward Hilary scuffed her feet on the ground, focussing on the design of her white sandals. They were nice sandals. They were flat with thin, white leather ties that crisscrossed round the bottom of her calves. They matched her skirt. Which was also white. It flared out from the waste and stopped just above her knee. She had a decorative, woven leather belt on as well. And a baby pink top.

Hilary decided the silence was definitely too long and too uncomfortable. But what could she say to break it?

"So I'm having a dinner party on Saturday," she blurted out. Well it wasn't the best conversation starter ever, but at least she could monologue for a while. "Everyone's coming. Well, I hope everyone's coming. Max hasn't called me back yet…"

Hilary trailed off, slightly embarrassed by her own babbling. However after a few minutes she decided that silence was harder to endure than her random conversation, and as Kai didn't look like he would be offering any pearls of wisdom in the near future she supposed it was up to her to continue the dialogue.

"And I should really explain what I mean by everyone, shouldn't I?"

Without waiting for a response Hilary launched into her story.

"Well I guess it really started back in school. I was the perfect teacher's pet. Nobody really liked me for it… except for the teacher… and I suppose even teachers find it a bit annoying occasionally. Some people didn't mind though. Like Rei. So we made this little group, about six or seven of us, kinda for the outcasts I guess. But it wasn't that people didn't like Rei, it was more that he preferred us. I suppose he was a self-made outcast, so he doesn't really count… umm… that was a bad example…

"Okay, so take Daichi; everyone pretty much hated him and teased him from day one because of his background, so he ended up hanging out with us. Then there's Kenny: super nerd. Totally amazing guy, but not many people could appreciate that. Umm… who else was there? Well, Mariah only hung out with us because of Rei… I guess there was Max… who hasn't rung me back… oh yeah Hiro! Hiro's my saving grace; he's been looking after the café for me. He didn't go to school with us, but he was Tyson's older brother…"

Here Hilary finally paused to take breath, but not because she was winded. The depressing melancholy that seemed to irrationally attach itself to his name was creeping up and she fought desperately to keep it down. Hurriedly she started speaking again to cover up her silence.

"So who have I missed? Umm… Rei, Mariah, Max, Daichi, Hiro… me… umm… Kenny… oh and I invited Ming Ming as well. She's Daichi's girlfriend. Such a cute story. He was crushing on her for ages, I could just tell. Of course when he was younger it came out as the whole teasing thing instead. But he got over that and she's great… well I think she is. I don't actually know her that well... I'm sure you'll like her though…"

Suddenly Hilary heard the sound of a chair groaning and glancing at Kai she saw the teen abruptly get up and walk inside. Hilary sat there shocked. Had she not been in the middle of a conversation with him? Well, not quite a conversation but it had been a two-way interaction. Well kind of two-way. Granted, he might have found it incredibly boring, but even so basic etiquette dictated that he should at least pretend to be interested.

Hilary shoved her chair back and stood up. Thoroughly irritated by the fact that he had no problem being so unbelievably rude, she pursued him inside to give him a thorough scolding. Didn't he feel even the slightest bit guilty? The guy had no conscience at all.

Seeing the living room empty she marched into the bedroom, but he wasn't there either. She was about to try the kitchen when she heard sounds coming from the ensuite bathroom. Treading softly, she approached the door and peeked through.

Standing under the hot lights were Kai and Gou. The older was in the process of leaning down to help his brother make sure the toothpaste managed safe passage from the tube to the toothbrush. The seven-year-old looked so small next to his big brother that it made the most endearing scene.

Suddenly any anger left Hilary and instead a soft smile danced across her face. Quietly she moved away from the door so as to avoid being noticed. Kai had many frustrating qualities, but he more than made up for these in the loving devotion he showed to his little brother, whether he realised it or not.

**. o x O X O x o .**


	4. Ennead

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Ťαкε мε Нøмε**

Written by **The anonymous elephant**

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the stuff that is my own.

**Warnings:** Nothing much, this story is much cleaner than I anticipated it would be.

**Author's Note: **Sorry this is so late, sorry for not responding to reviews, hope it lives up to people's expectations.

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Chapter** **4:** Ennead

**. o x O X O x o .**

Something smelt good.

Hilary stretched and yawned. Her back cracked and she winced at the sound. She really needed to do something about this or sleeping on the couch was going to lead her to an early death. Slowly she pushed the blanket down, losing the warm, sleepy feeling as she did so and swung her legs off the sofa. She slipped her feet into worn-out slippers and got up.

Hilary wandered sleepily into the kitchen. She was sure that was where the smell was coming from. As she entered Gou was off his chair in seconds and had launched himself at her.

"Whoa," said Hilary with a laugh as she caught the little boy and swung him up, "Well this is a nice greeting."

Gou hugged her happily and said with excitement, "Me and Kai made breakfast. It's really yummy, you have to try some."

Hilary glanced round but the other brother wasn't in the kitchen. Nevertheless on one of the counters lay a steaming plate of eggs and bacon with a glass of orange juice to top it off. She let Gou slipped down to the ground and shuffled over to the meal. It really did look good and the smell was making her super hungry.

Gou offered her a knife and fork which she graciously accepted before digging into her meal. The bacon was crisp and the eggs were scrambled, her favourite. It was all still sizzling hot and she nearly burnt her tongue. Gulping down the orange juice she noted it was definitely not the stuff she stocked in her fridge.

"Did you make the orange juice as well?" she asked curiously.

Gou nodded proudly and explained, "Kai wouldn't let me cook the eggs or bacon because the frying pan was too hot, so he said I could make some juice instead. I did it all by myself."

Hilary smiled, now noting the orange stains on his Spiderman pyjamas where the fruit had obviously gotten the better of the little boy.

"Well done Gou! It's very yummy. Is there any more?"

Gou shook his head solemnly. "No, 'cause my arms got sore."

Hilary held back her laughter and replied as seriously as she could, "Fair enough. I'll just have to grab something else to drink."

"Kai made coffee," suggested Gou helpfully.

Hilary located the mug sitting next to the coffee pot. She started to drink the dark coffee and nearly spat it out.

"Eurgh! This is awful! Why the hell would he make it so bitter?"

"Because it's mine, and that's how I drink it," answered Kai as he entered the kitchen, plucked the mug from her hand and took a large sip.

Hilary glared at him, he was so annoying!

Finishing his coffee Kai completely ignored Hilary. When it was gone he dumped the mug in the sink and said, "Time to get ready Gou."

Hilary watched them leave the kitchen then decided to do some investigation. For a guy who had never peeled a carrot before, Kai had done a pretty good job at breakfast. Okay, so making bacon and eggs was a lot easier than Sheperd's Pie, but she still reckoned he couldn't have gotten it right first time round. Besides, this guy was a perfectionist, the slightest flaw and he would've started over.

Sure enough, when Hilary opened the bin she saw a pile of less-than-successful attempts. She grinned. Yep. Kai might be a perfectionist, but he wasn't perfect. Judging by the number of burnt bacon strips he had tried at least three times before getting it good enough. It made her feel slightly better knowing that he wasn't as wonderful as he seemed.

She lifted her foot and let the bin snap shut. Now there was just one more thing to clarify.

Hilary went and searched her bookshelves. There was no way that Kai had just figured out how to scramble eggs by himself. Well, it wasn't impossible, but like you'd just guess that you needed to add milk and whisk them before cooking and maybe she just wanted to prove that he wasn't as smart as he seemed.

As she had suspected one of her recipe books was misplaced (yes, she was very systematic and slightly obsessive when it came to organising her books). "Cooking for Students" was slotted amongst her travel guides. It was a great book for any beginner cook. From how to boil and egg to making mixed drinks, this book had everything a uni student could need. Not that she was a uni student, but that wasn't really the point.

"Bathroom's free."

Hilary whirled around at the sound of Kai's voice. He was standing by the door to the bedroom dressed in his jeans and t-shirt. On seeing him Hilary's good mood left her again and she suddenly felt guilty for snooping, which was totally stupid because she hadn't done anything wrong. She had every right to look at her own books.

Kai watched her steadily with auburn eyes and raised an eyebrow at her peculiar silence. Hilary blushed and quickly grabbed a towel and some clothes to change into. She hurried into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

**. o x O X O x o .**

"Where are we going?" asked Gou curiously.

"Shopping," answered Hilary shortly.

"Why?"

"Because you need new clothes."

"Why?" Gou repeated, oblivious to her bad mood.

"Because I'm having people over tonight, and even though your brother doesn't understand the concept, it's generally accepted that frayed jeans and a t-shirt with holes in it is not appropriate attire for a dinner party," Hilary snapped.

There was silence for a few seconds as Gou digested this and then the inevitable, "Why?"

Hilary gritted her teeth and unconsciously tightened her grip on his hand. She was at the end of her rope. Pretty much as soon as she had finished getting ready in the morning she had gotten into a fight with Kai about this subject.

She had insisted that she buy them something slightly less shabby to wear. Kai had immediately gotten defensive and shunned the idea because, in his words, 'he didn't want her charity'. She had explained that it wasn't charity and maybe he could think of them as a gift. Kai had ignored her and asserted defiantly that he didn't need to dress up to impress her bloody friends. This had in turn irked Hilary who had then retorted that he'd never impress anyone because deep down he was only some kid off the streets.

Hilary grimaced as she remembered those harsh words. She had been out of line, but so had he. He didn't know her friends; he had no right to judge them. But it hadn't stopped there, the sharp words had continued as Kai had bitterly responded that she was right, that's all he was and she should stop trying to turn him into something else. Hilary's response had been to ask why the hell she had even tried to help him in the first place. To this Kai had snapped that maybe he should just go back to the streets where he belonged. 'Well nobody's stopping you,' she had responded and grabbed Gou's hand and marched out the door.

But there was someone stopping him. And that someone was Gou. Kai would never leave without the little boy. And that was why Hilary was sure he would still be in the apartment when she and Gou returned.

"Why didn't Kai come?"

It was like the little boy had read her thoughts. Hilary didn't know what to say, so instead she changed the subject.

"Let's try this shop Gou, we might find something you like."

The boy happily entered the store. Hilary wasn't sure if all seven-year-olds were this eager about shopping, but she assumed this was a fairly new experience for him. How much time do you have for shopping if you're living on the streets?

Looking round at the colourful kids' clothing Hilary temporarily forgot her troubled conscience. It was fun to go shopping for children. It had been one of the things Hilary had been looking forward to if the situation ever arose where she had her own children.

Hilary had a good eye for colours and sizes and soon she had three different outfits laid out for Gou. The little boy patiently tried each one on, marvelling at the softness, the bright colours and brand new condition of the materials.

After and hour and half of browsing through stores and trying clothes on, Gou selected a red and white long-sleeved t-shirt, a red and blue Spiderman t-shirt, a new pair of jeans, a warm jacket and new red runners. Hilary smiled as she noted him unconsciously favouring the colour red.

They had a quick break then. They went to the park, bought ice-cream and Gou played on the swings while Hilary sat and watched. This shopping trip had definitely put a dent in her credit card, but she didn't particularly mind. In fact she had a couple more purchases to make before they went home.

**. o x O X O x o .**

Hilary silently cheered her choices as she surreptitiously eyed Kai's new outfit. The tailored, black shirt gently hugged the contours of his body and the dark blue jeans hung stylishly from his hips. Damn, he looked fine!

"Hilary! Hilary! Look at my t-shirt!" exclaimed Gou excitedly as he rushed into the kitchen and interrupted her assessment.

Hilary couldn't help but reciprocate the bright smile that was plastered all over his face. The Spiderman t-shirt was obviously a big hit with the little boy.

"Looks great Gou," replied Hilary, "Now tell me, do you want to eat with us or would you prefer to eat earlier?"

Gou eyed the spaghetti and sauce hungrily and said, "Now," and then after a pause he added, "Please."

Kai watched tensely as Hilary served Gou an early dinner. The little boy was quickly settling into their new lifestyle. Observing his brother, Kai knew that his sibling would never understand how he felt. Gou was still young enough to adapt easily. Life on the streets would one day fade into a tattered memory. Kai would always remember what he was, where he came from. Nothing could change him, these people that Tachibana seemed so keen on introducing him to would always belong to another world.

One look at the seven-year-old's face revealed that he was definitely enjoying the regular meals and new clothes. In contrast, Kai found the regular meals arduous and the clothes uncomfortable. Mutton dressed up as lamb, although he'd never admit it out loud. Pride dictated that he acted indifferent to the fancy clothes. Sure he was a street kid, but hell would freeze over before he let anyone put him down for it. For Gou, street life was already becoming part of the past.

Kai knew for a fact that the young boy had not been so content in a long time. It was like a thorn in his side, the knowledge that he had never been able to make his brother this happy. Bitterness crossed his face and Kai slipped out onto the balcony before anyone could see it. He'd spent years of his life looking out for the kid, protecting him, but it had never involved fancy clothes or routine dinner. Gou was his little brother and Kai would do anything for him, but he had never been able to provide like this.

Life on the streets wasn't easy. Kai had done things to survive that no child should ever have to do. He had fought, he had stolen, he had made enemies and lost friends just so he could take care of Gou. It hadn't been wonderful but it was the best he could do.

And now this. Who the hell did this woman think she was? Did she think she could waltz in and buy the love that he had spent years working for? Kai gripped the balcony railing tightly. Anger flooded his veins at the thought of someone stealing away his brother. At the end of the day, Gou was all he had, the only constant in his life. He would never let her steal him away. He should just take Gou and get the hell out of there.

Kai glanced down at the black shirt he was wearing. He couldn't believe he had let her dress him up like this. What was wrong with him? This was not who he was. He would never fit in here. He belonged on the streets; that was his life. Jaw clenched, Kai whirled round with the intent of grabbing Gou and leaving right then and there. However he walked into the living room and stopped.

At the very moment Hilary had stepped out of the bedroom and was in the process of slipping on her second strappy, black sandal. All the anger drained out of him and Kai couldn't find it in himself to remove his eyes from her slender form. A black, halter neck dress fit snugly round her curves. The skirt flared out appealingly at the hips and stopped just short of the knee. The glinting, silver necklace around her neck caught his eye for a moment before he focussed on her face. Her nose was scrunched in concentration as she struggled with her shoe.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and her brown eyes widened in panic as she sped up her efforts and then flew to the door. As it swung open, Kai was drawn back to reality. His previous resolve was greatly diminished and dissipated further when he recognised the face at the entrance.

Rei hugged Hilary and then regarded her with worry.

"Geeze Hilary, your back is really knotted."

"Oh it's not that bad," she said, trying to brush off the comment.

"You should really see someone about it," said Rei seriously.

"Thank you Rei," she responded primly, "But you're not a qualified doctor quite yet so don't go bossing me around."

"Yeah, just get out of the way you goose and let me in the door," said a voice from behind Rei. The Chinese man laughed and stepped aside and let his pink whirlwind of a girlfriend enter the apartment. Mariah embraced her friend cheerfully. Her rose coloured dress floated on a nonexistent breeze and she looked stunning.

Kai felt a small hand slip into his and he looked down to see Gou half hiding nervously behind his leg, fork still grasped in hand. Rei noticed the two and walked over to greet them.

"Hey Kai, how's it going?" he said in a friendly tone. Kai shrugged in response and watched keenly as Rei then knelt down to Gou's height and asked, "Hi Gou. I'm Rei, do you remember me?"

Gou nodded silently, staring shyly at the tall man. Suddenly Mariah appeared beside them, beaming happily and saying, "Gou honey, do you remember me as well? Probably not, we only met once or twice. Oh, something smells good Hilary. Do you need a hand in the kitchen?" She was one minute there, one minute gone; Mariah disappeared into the kitchen. That girl was way too energetic and preferred to keep busy.

Quietly Gou mumbled, "I wanna go to bed Kai," and without waiting for a response he ambled to the bookshelves, selected a book and disappeared into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Rei stared after him, bemused by the sudden retreat. "Well there goes one kid who knows his mind."

"Hn…"

"Hey, I got you something," said Rei suddenly, "It's not much, and I don't know if you'll like it but I saw it and I just thought of you. Don't know why."

Kai felt unsure as he watched Rei search for the gift. Kai Hiwatari didn't get given gifts. The people he knew were too busy taking care of themselves to bother about others. What was he supposed to do? Why would Rei be giving him a gift anyway? Should he accept it? Should he give him something in return?

A slim, CD case decorated with an intricate design on the cover was proffered, and after a moment's hesitation Kai took it. The words "Melodic Masterpieces" were printed across the front in an elaborate font.

Kai glanced up at his companion, unsure of what to do or say. Rei felt self-conscious in the silence and under the intense gaze of the teen's eyes. He laughed awkwardly and said, "You might not like it. Kids these days don't seem to appreciate the old masters any more. But give it a go. Start with track five if you want my advice, it's a powerful melody."

Kai nodded silently, flipping the CD over to inspect the track list. Subconsciously the names tugged at a corner of his mind, memories started to stir and dust themselves off. But before the links in his mind could fully reawaken, the doorbell rang announcing more visitors.

Rei smiled when he recognised the arrival and said to Kai, "Look, Hiro's here. Come meet him Kai."

They wandered over to the doorway where Hilary was enthusiastically hugging the tall man. He reciprocated, smiling down at the petit female. When she released him he revealed a spectacular bouquet of roses he had hidden behind his back. Hilary flushed and smiled shyly at the sight of the flowers. She accepted them with a grateful kiss on the cheek. Kai watched the scene with an ill hidden sneer on his lips. He didn't like this man.

Before any formal introductions could be made a beet faced Daichi appeared at the door with a slim, tanned girl on his arm. There was something amusing in the contrast between the two. Daichi slouched awkwardly in a mismatched suit and tie with his eyes fixed on the ground, however his partner stood tall in her designer dress with an enchanting smile on her face as her vivid orbs swept the room. Yet, despite their differences, they held one thing in common: you could not take your eyes off them. There was something intriguing about the jungle boy who was so out of place in the city, and something mesmerizing about the cultured movements of the girl.

As if the flood gates had been opened, yet more guests arrived. Panting lightly, but with bright smiles on their faces, Kenny and Max also arrived at the door. Kai didn't need introductions to place names to faces. Hilary talked about them all so much the he easily recognised the lanky, disorganized man as computer genius Kenny and the bubbly blond as Max Tate.

Standing silently Kai observed the easy, confident manner with which they interacted. So these were Hilary's friends. He'd never seen people act so comfortably around each other. You couldn't trust people on the street; it wasn't the way things worked. Each man for himself. Quick and the dead. Those were the lessons he'd learnt, not some happy, cushy crap about friends walking in when others walk out.

Mentally shaking the queer feeling he was getting from watching the friends catch up, he took note of their fancy clothes. They were all formally dressed and for a second he felt the smallest hint of relief that he was in similar attire, that he would fit in. Quickly he pushed the feeling away and focussed on the fact that, judging by the cut and material of the clothes, they must all be fairly well off. He'd landed himself with a bunch of loaded city snobs.

When the group finally made its way to the dining table Kai watched as Hiro pulled out a chair for Hilary. Sulkily he slouched down in his own seat and decisively ignored the way the guy leant a little to close to her when he talked and the way his words were a little too complementary and refined.

For a while the conversation centred on memories and reminiscing and Kai turned his concentration to the food in front of him. He found he had little appetite for the entrée, finding his eyes continuously and unconsciously sliding back to Hilary and Hiro. The brunette was laughing at something he had whispered in her ear, her eyes creased in delight. Hiro smiled at her reaction and reached for a bottle of red wine. Opening it he began pouring everyone a glass, starting with Hilary.

He reached Kai, but hesitated and pulled back before the liquid left the bottle.

"You're a little to young to drink, aren't you Kai?" Hiro commented, smiling distantly at him, "If you go check in the fridge I'm sure there will be some lemonade or something. You don't mind doing that do you?"

Kai's temperature rose several degrees, but before he could reply Ming Ming cut in gracefully saying, "What a good thought Hiro. Daichi and I won't be drinking either, so I don't mind going a fetching something else."

She stood up smoothly, and brushed off Hilary's insistent contention that it was her job as host not her guests'. On her way past Kai she brushed her hand across Kai's shoulder in a subtle, calming gesture. Kai's scowling eyes flicked to watch her as she disappeared into the kitchen but the young woman did not even glance at him.

Irritated further by her condescending action, but aware he was close to making a scene, Kai moodily glared at his food, as if by staring hard enough he could take his frustration out on the innocent, marinated chicken strips with green salad.

As they moved from course to course, so their conversation moved from past to present, parties to politics, and lastly as alcohol gently infused their blood and mellowed their minds, to philosophy and the meaning of life.

"You've got to have a destination, something you're aiming for," stated the Kenny with certainty.

Rei shook his head and countered, "No, it's not about the destination, it's the journey that matters. If you're too focussed on where you want to end up you'll miss the scenery on the way."

"He's right, it's these experiences that shape us into who we are," added Max.

"No, who we are shapes our experiences," said Kenny.

"But who are we?" asked Max pensively, "Nature vs. nurture. Does life shape us into who we are or are we born that way?"

"Well you're saying that it's our environment that shapes us," pointed out Kenny.

"That's not what I'm saying," responded Rei, "I believe we have souls, I believe we'd be the same people even if we lived somewhere else. What I'm saying is that you can't dismiss the journey. The end doesn't justify the means; you have to watch how you get there."

Daichi groaned, "You guys are making my head hurt."

Ming Ming let out a small tinkling laugh, smiling sympathetically at her boyfriend and kissing him on the cheek. Then she got up and helped Hilary to start gathering the plates.

"You sound just like Tyson."

Everyone stopped and looked to the owner of the voice. Hiro was sitting back in his chair, swishing the wine in his glass and watching it with hooded eyes. He spoke again, and there was a bitter tone to his rough, low voice.

"Tyson hated any conversation that exceeded an intellectual level of grade three."

There was a loud crash as Hilary accidentally dropped one of the plates to the floor. Kai noted the peculiar white shade that had replaced the colour in her cheeks. In fact, as he glanced around the table, nobody was looking particularly high spirited. The mood of the table had dropped in a matter of seconds.

"He made it somehow though. Always just managed to pass. Nearly finished school." Hiro closed his eyes as he said this, as though he was struggling with some great burden. His fingers were clenching tightly around the wine glass, so tight that it looked like it would shatter.

Suddenly Rei stood up. "It's getting late, we should be off. I'll call a taxi."

Mariah nodded and moved over to Hiro, gently easing the glass out of his hand. Ming Ming helped Hilary move the plates into the kitchen. The others just sat at the table in silence, looking downcast.

They left quickly after that. Kai watched from the balcony as the got into the taxis and drove off. He watched Hilary's lonely figure waving goodbye from the curb until they had turned the corner. He watched her stand there for a moment in the silence of the night and then slowly turn back round and enter the building.

He waited on the balcony, listening as she came in the door and started preparing for bed. Just before she turned out the lights he came inside. Hilary glanced at him in surprise, obviously thinking that he had already gone to bed. She looked so innocent and young, standing there in her white nightgown, her brown eyes wide with surprise. Wilfully ignoring her, he strode to the door and flipped the lock. She always forgot to lock the door. Then without a word he withdrew into his own room, changing and climbing into bed next to Gou. But he did not fall asleep, not straight away. Instead he listened to her slight groan as she lay down on the couch, to her shuffling round and trying to get comfortable, he listened until there was nothing to hear and she had drifted off. Only then did he allow his eyes to close and his mind to fall into peaceful oblivion.

**♥♥♥ **


	5. :

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Ťαкε мε Нøмε**

Written by **The anonymous elephant**

**. o x O X O x o .**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the stuff that is my own.

**Warnings: **Crappy writing ahead.

**Author's Note: **Nevertheless, crappy or not, it is writing, a whole new chapter in fact, so I guess something is better than nothing. Apologies for the wait. Oh, and Kai would be 17 for those of you who were asking. Many thanks for your kind reviews and support, it means the world.

****

**. o x O X O x o .**

Chapter 5

**. o x O X O x o .**

"Well he seems pretty good if you ask me," said Rei smilingly as he gathered his things.

Hilary knew she should listen to Rei, he was after all nearly a fully-qualified doctor, but something made her ask, "Are you sure? You don't think he should spend a few more days resting?"

Rei's eyebrows shot up in amusement and he said, "Hilary, he's been resting for nearly two weeks. What he needs now is to get out and start doing things."

At that precise moment Kai appeared in the doorway to the living room and casually leant against the wall. Rei grinned at him (the two seemed to be quite good friends now) and gave Hilary a friendly hug before leaving; he had classes and lectures he needed to attend.

Hilary turned back to Kai who was fully dressed, shoes and all, and demanded suspiciously, "What do you think you're doing."

He barely glanced at her as he headed towards the door and said, "Doctor's orders."

"Kai! I'm sure that's not what he meant. Come back here now!" Hilary yelled as she grabbed her boots and tried to tug them on, "Okay maybe a quick trip to the park, or a walk around the block… Kai! Kai wait up!"

As she watched him walk away from her an unreasonable fear raced through her veins, a fear that he might not come back, and she didn't know why but she desperately needed to follow him to make sure he did.

In her haste to get out the door she dropped her keys three times and almost forgot her bag. By the time she was out in the hallway he was already in the lift. Hilary ran towards the closing doors and he gave her an arrogant smirk just before the doors shut tightly. She urgently pushed the button, praying to a God she didn't believe in that they'd open, but they didn't and she could hear the lift moving.

Hilary glanced around and saw the stairs. On any normal day she would wait for the lift to come back rather than take the six flights of stairs. But this wasn't a normal day and the irrational panic that had gripped her forced her legs into a run and before she knew it she was rushing down the steps, coming dangerously close to tripping and breaking her neck multiple times.

**. o x O X O x o .**

It was good to be out of the apartment. Two weeks stuck in that building after four years on the streets had taken its toll. Kai felt an intrinsic, relentless drive to be on the move again, to walk the streets, to visit his old haunts.

However as he sat, lost in thought, in one of the abandoned warehouses that he and Gou had often spent the night, he failed to find the release he was searching for. His soul felt restless and this translated into his movements. He swung down off the crate, a cloud of dust exploding as he hit the floor. Birds startled at the sudden sound. Kai noted the footprints indicating the passage of others who had taken refuge from the night or the rain or the police or any of the hundreds of similar obstacles that faced the homeless.

He wasn't homeless anymore. Or perhaps, more accurately, he wasn't house-less. The connotations of the term 'home' were too strong and hardly fit his situation. But maybe… one day…

Kai kicked an empty can viciously, trying to shake off the temporary sentimentality. He didn't need a home. Home's came with tedious baggage such as attachment, responsibility, possibly even affection. He was doing fine without all that crap.

He had Gou, and Gou was all he needed.

Gou was like his little brother although they were not blood-related. Somewhere back along the line, when he was still stuck in the system, he had picked the little guy up. It had been his foster home phase and, until he had shaken it off, he and Gou had gone from family to family together.

You did not find one without the other, and Kai had every intention of keeping it that way. Despite the countless families that he had stayed with, Kai had never found anyone he could really call close other than the little boy. If Kai had a choice in the matter then he would probably have avoided attachment to Gou as well, but the little boy would not have it that way.

When Kai had finally slipped the institution and joined the harsh world of the streets he had brought with him Gou. Not by choice, simply because the kid had clung to his leg and threatened to scream if he was left behind.

There had been no chase, no search for the missing boys. The faces and names of his last foster family may have become blurred, but Kai remembered the opportunistic manner in which they had exploited the child support sent to them by the government. If his theory was correct there would have been no phone call to the police, no mention of their disappearance to the agency. Instead life would've continued on as normal, collecting the pay check and wasting the money.

Not one flicker of emotion could be found on the teen's face, not even for a millisecond, despite the chaos of thoughts and memories inside his head. It wasn't in his nature to give anything away easily.

Kai's feet were carrying him towards more familiar ground and looking round he noticed himself in the vicinity of his old highschool. He hadn't been to school in four years. Maybe it was time for a visit.

It was eerily silent as he entered through the school gates. The asphalt sports courts were deserted. He passed the heavy-duty, metal lunch tables and faded hopscotch markings.

In an attempt to avoid the crowd that would inevitably burst from the building when lunchtime came Kai slunk over to a shady tree and settled comfortably by the trunk. He pulled out his mp3 player (courtesy of Hilary) and settled the headphones in his ears. Switching it on the sound of Linkin Park began filtering into his mind. The album was old, but it was a classic. As the sounds of students became louder he turned up the volume to match their noise.

Only two tracks in, he was disturbed by a poke on his shoulder. When he opened his eyes a smiling face was hovering only inches from his. He stared. A pair of green eyes stared right back.

Mentally sighing he removed one of his headphones.

The face withdrew slightly, and spoke.

"Heya, haven't seen you round before. I'm Mariam and this is Salima."

Kai's eyes flicked to the face of the girl flanking Mariam and then back to the waiting eyes in front of him. What? Did she want him to confirm they hadn't met before? Annoyed at her pointless intrusion he replaced his headphones, closed his eyes and said nothing.

The girl seemed unconcerned by his indifferent response and said, "What ya listenin' to?"

Kai's eyes shot open again and this time the girl flinched under the intensity of his gaze. The teen slowly stood up, and towered above the two girls. They took an instinctive step back and he made his way past them and started walking off.

"Hey! You're not being rude to my girls are you?"

Kai turned around to face the newcomer. It was a guy, slightly taller than him, with red hair and striking blue eyes.

Mariam rolled her eyes and elbowed the guy in the stomach winding him. "Fuck off Tala."

"Oi! I don't get it, he's an asshole and you let him walk off, but I'm trying to be nice and you attack. What's with that?" he wheezed.

Two more guys approached. One of them, also with red hair, quipped in a heavy Scottish accent, "It's because they can see that guy means business, whereas you're just a wimp."

"Back off McGregor," growled Tala.

"Shut up the both of you," sighed Mariam, "Come on Salima, let's ditch this bunch of idiots."

"Loveable idiots, don't ya mean?" asked the guy named Tala.

Feeling that the girl Mariam had come up with the right idea, Kai turned up the volume and tried to slip away. Unfortunately he was stopped by the Scot, who blocked his escape route with his brawny frame.

The fiery redhead grinned menacingly and said, "Where you off to in such a hurry? I don't like it when strangers come to near my girls."

"Not your girl Johnny," murmured Salima.

Kai met the challenging stare unblinkingly and then said coldly, "Get out of my way."

"Johnny, just leave the guy alone. If he wants to be an antisocial prick then it's his choice," said Mariam, pulling Johnny away from Kai.

Kai resumed walking, paying no attention to the insults that the angry Scott spat grumpily in his direction.

He hadn't meant to interact with anyone; it was more of an indulgence in nostalgia. He made a mental note never to give in to melancholy again. But he was here now, so there was one more thing that he might as well do.

Just down the road he saw a small group of student, around his age, sharing a smoke. As he drew nearer they waved for him to come join them. Normally Kai wouldn't object to a free smoke, but he had things to do. So he ignored them and continued on in the general direction of Bakuten Primary School.

Instinct more than anything else led him to Gou; Kai had always had a good sense of direction. He wandered through the maze of streets until the sound of children's voices rang through the air.

The junior section of the school was almost an exact replica of the senior from the outside, except that the metal tables had been replaced with multicoloured play-equipment. When he arrived it was recess and most of the kids were charging across the playground in a raucous game of tag. Others were swinging around on equipment, or creating detailed games of make-believe.

Kai settled down on the ground, leaning his back against one of the fence posts and waited.

Soon enough a paint-covered Gou came ambling his way. The little boy grinned and waved, and when he got close enough burst into a minute-by-minute replay of his entire morning, using spirited movements to illustrate his narrative.

Kai half-listened, one eye watching the boy and the other inspecting his surroundings. When bulky, male teacher on the other side of the playground caught sight of the two and started to make his way over, a suspicious look on is face, Kai decided it was time to bail.

Getting up, he interrupted Gou's story and ruffled the kid's hair. Gou stared up at him with big, brown eyes and looked slightly puzzled.

"Why do you have to go?"

Kai shrugged and said simply, "I'm not supposed to be here."

The little boy nodded in understanding and hugged Kai's denim covered leg (as he couldn't reach high enough for a proper hug), then ran off to where some other kids were playing Marco-Polo.

The teacher was only a few metres away and began yelling when Kai started to leave. Kai glanced at the man, whose face was already red with exertion, judging whether he was any real threat, then easily jumped the fence and wandered off down the street.

**. o x O X O x o .**

Where the hell could he be?

Hilary scanned the busy shopping street. She was buffeted around by the busy shoppers and businessmen on lunch break who were all intent on reaching their destinations quickly to avoid the cold. She had been searching for two hours. It was already one o'clock and she could feel her stomach protesting.

She shivered as an icy breeze hit her hard.

Panic had subsided until she simply felt numb. He was gone.

Hilary wiped away the moisture that was gathering in the corners of her eyes. It was the bitter wind that was making her teary, she thought pointedly, not Kai. It wasn't like she had expected him to stay. People rarely did.

She had lots of friends. Lots of people she could count on. But they all had lives of their own. They had things to do, places to go.

Was there anyone in her life that she could call a constant? Someone who'd been with her through thick and thin, willing to stick it out until the end? And not just someone to keep her company, to offer a joke when she was feeling down, but someone to share her deepest, darkest secrets with, someone to whom she could bare her soul?

Well, there had been. But he was gone.

Her gloved hand traced the twists and twirls of the ornate iron fence. Somehow she had wandered away from the busy central chopping district. She wondered absently how she had ended up here, of all places. Her feet wandered along parallels to her mind, or so it seemed. She pushed the creaky gate inwards and stepped into the cemetery.

Past the towering obelisks, past the stone sculptures of angels and saints until she finally stopped at a simple gravestone. The grave was growing older now; grass covered what had once been bare earth. She remembered watching the dark dirt raining down on the casket until it disappeared. Three years. Had it really been that long? Sometimes it still felt like yesterday.

**Tyson Granger**

Always in our hearts

3rd April 1986 –

27th December 2005

There were flowers on the grave. White roses. Intuition told her that Hiro had left them there. He was, perhaps, the only one who still felt the grief as acutely as she did, the only one who still felt his death like a blade in their heart.

Hiro Granger was an enigma to Hilary. She loved him dearly, but she did not understand him. He was a striking specimen of a man, definitely more so than his brother had been. He had dark brown eyes and black hair that looked almost blue in the sunlight. His body was lean and muscled and his face had an arrogant line. He had a commanding air about him that had women flocking to him, but he was a focussed, driven man. Until three years ago his sole goal in life was to see his little brother at the top. See Tyson Granger becoming the world Kendo champion for the third year running.

Until three years ago, Tyson had been the only thing she cared about in her life as well.

But Tyson was dead. It had been an accident, a blow to the head when he wasn't wearing full uniform. At first nobody had been that worried, he hadn't even lost consciousness. However later that day he had collapsed into a fit and they had called an ambulance. Even then it had not seemed too serious. Tyson had recovered by the time they reached the hospital and it was simply labelled an overnight trip so he could regain his bearings. But he had slipped into a coma late that night.

Two months later, after many long nights by his bedside, he passed away. He had never regained his awareness; he never heard the whispered confessions in the dark. Confessions of her undying love for him.

The sound of him flat-lining would haunt her forever. He was gone.

But life goes on. She had transferred her heart and soul into her café and her friends. Hiro, on the other hand, had filled his days with maintaining the family dojo. Anything to keep his mind of his little brother. Anything to keep the grief at bay. And when work was slow, and the bills weren't quite adding up right, he had drowned his sorrows in alcohol.

But that was an unspoken secret that remained between the two of them. If Hilary had noticed Hiro's bloodshot eyes and tainted breath then it was only because they had been drawn that much closer by their shared grief. To the rest of the world Hiro was coping. She did not share in his escapism, but she could understand it. Together they were lost in some other half-world while they preformed the actions demanded by this one. Hilary's café had prospered, and after a while Hiro's dojo had regained its prestige. It had been a signal to the rest of the world that they were moving on.

But had they really?

That was the question that sometimes haunted her. Had she really moved on? Was she ready for life without Tyson; was this the life she wanted? And what about Hiro, if you take away a man's obsession, his life's work, his little brother; what does he have left?

What did she have left?

Too many questions; questions without answers.

The church bells rumbled out the time. Hilary touched her fingers to her lips and placed the kiss on the cold marble. Gou would be finishing school soon. She had to go get him.

**. o x O X O x o .**

The haunting melody of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata rippled out of the stereo and filled the apartment. It reflected his mood; dark, sombre and brooding.

The piece was the third track on the CD Rei had given him. The reason the Chinese man had given him a gift remained a mystery to Kai, but nevertheless he appreciated it. He wouldn't go so far as to say he enjoyed it though. Granted, the songs were pretty enough and the skilled mastery of those who played the instruments impressed him. But the music irritated something in the deep recesses of his mind, memories that refused to surface, teasing him with fleeting flashes of the past but nothing more.

Not the recent past. Not the years on the streets for he remembered those vividly. Not the years before that traipsing from one home to another. No, this flimsy round disc dug even deeper, it tugged on darker memories of darker times. Kai wasn't sure he wanted to remember, but like a dog on the scent of a bone he couldn't give up the chase once it began.

In his mind he saw images of ladies in flowing silk gowns, fake painted smiles, choreographed steps, ancient crystal chandeliers, deeds in dark corners, rooms of men in black suits, dirty deals, extravagant meals and luxurious cars. And in the background of these elusive, twisted visions hovered a face. A face that was half hidden. A face of harsh lines and cold eyes.

Kai smashed his hand down on the CD player, abruptly halting the sound. His head ached and his hands were sweaty. He tried to gather himself together, to calm his uneven breaths.

The lingering melodies held more than just background music; they were intricately linked with his past. Rei had given him the key to unlock this past, and one day he would.

For now Kai removed himself to the balcony, watching the cars and people on the streets below and waiting for Gou to get home.

**. o x O X O x o .**

Hilary burst in the door, a flurry of anxious movement. How was she supposed to tell Gou that his big brother was gone?

The little boy watched her curiously as she rushed about the room. Hilary almost sighed in relief when she saw a red light flashing on the telephone indicating a new message. She pressed the button, only half-listening.

…_Hi Hils, it's Hiro. I'm just phoning to ask if you want to catch up some time, have a couple of drinks, it's been a while…_

The rest of the message escaped her because her attention was stolen by the figure standing silently by the window.

"You're… you're here," Hilary said in a faltering voice, "I thought…"

"Well there's something new," replied Kai dispassionately without turning from the window.

Hilary felt tears welling in her eyes and she was struggling to breathe normally. A flood of emotions surged through her veins. Anger, relief, happiness; Hilary couldn't identify exactly what she was feeling.

"You… came back… I… what… where… you're here, you're back…" she couldn't find the words.

"Obviously," said Kai unsympathetically.

"Hi Kai," said Gou cheerfully before he wandered off into the kitchen.

Hilary watched him leave, still reeling in shock. She looked one more time at older brother, then, unable to think of anything appropriate to say, followed Gou into the kitchen.

The rest of the evening passed in relative silence. Hilary said barely a word. If Gou noticed the unusual silence he didn't say anything, and eventually dozed off while reading a book on Hilary's bed.

The young woman retrieved the book from his grasp and tucked him in gently. She went to return the book to the shelves in the living room where Kai was watching TV. Suddenly the screen switched off.

"Lie down," Kai said in a commanding tone, getting off the couch and dropping the remote of the table.

"Why?" she responded suspiciously, but in a more composed tone.

He gave her a cool look and said, "Just do what I tell you."

Now that was rubbing her the wrong way. Bastard. Who did he think he was to order her around? Hilary wanted to fight back, yell at him like she normally would, but she was so tired. Today had been stressful. So she gave him a glare back just so he knew exactly how she felt about this, but she did lie down.

"Turn over."

Sighing irritably she did as he said. Now she was lying on her stomach, her head resting on her hands. She felt awkward; this was rather a vulnerable position. She turned her head to try and see what he was doing, but he was just out of her line of vision.

Suddenly she felt two strong hands on her back. She struggled and protested but Kai leant down and when he spoke his words were soft but firm and his breath tickled her cheek. "Stay still. I'm not going to hurt you."

And again it was a command, but this time there was something like a challenge in his voice. Hilary felt like he was testing her to see if she could trust him like he'd trusted her. They were both fiercely independent people. Now he was showing her what it had been like to surrender himself to someone else's care. Hilary swallowed and lay stiffly still. If he could do this she damn well could.

She stared blankly at the wall, all her attention focussed on the hands which started walking up her back. They were warm and they moved firmly and skilfully. It actually felt quite nice.

After a while he moved to straddle her back so he could work more easily on her tense shoulders. Hilary inhaled sharply in surprise, but she wasn't going to back down. Still she felt the blood rushing to her cheeks and she was glad he couldn't see her face. She hadn't been in such an intimate position since… since Tyson was around.

"Ouch!" she yelled out as his right hand found a particularly tense part, "Stop it! Aaahh… Get off!"

His left hand firmly pushed her back down. "Stop complaining. It's a knot, and if you stay still I'll get rid of it."

Hilary gritted her teeth as his thumb gradually pushed down on the painful spot, getting the blood pumping through the neglected muscle and reducing the tension. Gradually, against her better judgement, Hilary felt herself relaxing.

Kai continued in the same fashion for a good twenty minutes. Locating knots and easing them out. His fingers were strong and Hilary felt malleable and content beneath them.

Eventually he got off her. Hilary, completely relaxed, rolled over slowly and stretched like a cat sleeping in the sun. She gazed up at his lean figure through lidded eyes and smiled gently. Then she released a small yawn and was ready to drop off.

Unexpectedly she felt strong arms lifting her up off the floor. He handled her like a kitten; she was small compared to him. Hilary's head rested against his hard chest as he carried her into the bedroom. Gently he laid her down on the bed, pulling back the covers and slipping her inside.

Hilary sighed sleepily and revelled in the feeling of her soft mattress and downy pillows instead of the hard couch. She was on the border between waking and sleep, and in the morning she wouldn't be sure if she had dreamed it, but for brief moment she felt his presence lean down. His breath touched her cheek and his low voice caressed her drowsy mind.

"I'm not going to leave you."

**. o x O X O x o .**


End file.
